Two Miami area brothers, Joshua and Jake Shevlin topped a field of 35 other youngsters to win the Junior and Smallfry divisions in the fifth annual Mercury/IGFA (International Game Fish Association) Junior Angler World Championship Tournament (JAWC), June 17 - 19.     

Joshua Shevlin, 12, Bay Harbor, Fla., was both the Junior division champion and the overall points champion netting a total of 401 points in the catch and release competition. He scored 266 points the first day and 135 the second releasing a total of 38 fish among 11 species.

Finishing second was Paul Sabayrac, 16, Palm Beach Gardens with 296 points and Chris Dillon, 16, Key Largo, Fla. was third with 287 points. The top junior girl was Tiffany Smith, 12, Port St. Lucie, Fla., with 231 points followed by Heather Harkavy, 11, Coral Springs, Fla., with 99 points.

Nick Ames, 15, Holly Hill, Fla., who finished fourth, led all anglers for the most species caught with 12 for his 267 points.

In the Smallfry division Jake Shevlin, 8, was the top boy with a total of 281 points, 216 of the points coming on opening day. He caught a total of 31 fish among nine species. Finishing second was Tyler Smith, 9, Port St. Lucie, Fla., with 251 points and Robert O'Leary, 10, Morristown, N.J. in third with 247 points.  The top girl in the Smallfry division was Rhea Gilbert, 9, Seminole, Fla. with 85 points and won the Smallfry stringer award with five species.

The girls and boys, ages five to 16, qualified for the all-release championship by winning one of the IGFA approved fishing tournaments held in the U.S. and several countries. Anglers ages five -10 competed in the smallfry division; ages 11-16 in the junior division.

Among the 23 eligible species yellowtail snapper was the most prominent fish with 184 releases followed by dolphinfish (144) and barracuda (101).

The young contestants were accompanied by a parent or guardian and fished in pairs with another Junior or Smallfry angler over two days for the 23 eligible five to 25 point species.  The local Florida Keys captains were selected by the IGFA. Circle hooks were used with all live and dead bait. 

Capt. Dave Esquinaldo on the Quick Relief won the top award among the captains scoring 749 points over the two days through the points of the anglers he had aboard. Capt. Robert Trosset on the Spin Drift was second with 609 points and Capt. Jim Thomas on the Tightlines was third with 449 points.

There was no minimum length for eligible species, but a maximum of three fish of each species per day could be counted by each contestant. Any other fish was awarded two points each with a minimum of 12 inches in length.

A total of 22 awards were presented including the top three scoring captains. 

Besides title sponsor Mercury Marine, other sponsors included Shimano, Plano, Double Tree Grand Key Resort, Kings Pointe Marina, Rapala, King Sailfish Mounts,  Conchy Joe's Bait and Tackle,  Reel Life Art, Publix, Pelagic Gear, Daiichi, Lipper Tools, Glenda and Pat Kelley, Gene and Bill DuVal and Hook the Future.  

The junior tournament mirrored two other world-class IGFA fishing championships.  The eighth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship was held in Mexico in May, with teams of winners advancing from over 130 qualifying tournaments in 40 countries around the world. Meanwhile, the seventh annual IGFA Inshore World Championship will be held July 8 - 11 in Islamorada, Fla., with 28 light tackle and fly competitors -- some coming from as far away as Africa and Australia after winning one of more than 55 selected tournaments around the world.

This was the final year of the Junior Angler World Championship as the IGFA expands its Junior Angler Program with more fun and educational fishing clinics and events reaching out to more youngsters in more areas of the world.

The IGFA Junior Angler World Championship has been a great success," said IGFA coordinator and tournament director Peter Gaube.  "But in the last five years, we've witnessed the positive influence and potential of the IGFA Junior Angler Program through educational programs and clinics." 

From those efforts the IGFA has developed a plan to allow the Junior Angler Program to reach more young anglers globally.

The IGFA Junior Angler Program also recognizes separate world records for boys and girls, Smallfry and Juniors, in over 200 species of salt and freshwater fish. The IGFA has Junior Angler Club members in over 50 countries.

For more visit www.igfa.org.